The council is consulting on a Draft Green Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).The term Green Infrastructure refers to all the green and blue spaces around our towns and cities. Green spaces are hedgerows, woodlands areas, orchards and natural grasslands. Blue areas link to water related environmental spaces. Once adopted, this document will be used to give guidance when deciding planning applications. It will also be used to inform the Green Infrastructure policies included within the Barnet Local Plan.

Installation of contraflow lane (and removal of parking where said lane is to be - currently contraflow is allowed, with no formal lane);
Reduction of parking;
Tightening up of jct. with Rodney Rd - as well as most of Balfour St. (reducing reckless driving);
Additional cycle parking at corner of Victory Pl.

Issues:

Current shared contraflow 'bypass' at corner of John Maurice Cl. and Balfour St. seems to be gone, this meant cyclists didn't have to go head-on with oncoming traffic;
Width for safe contraflow (this is also a bit of an issue due to parking; however Balfour St. is not very busy, so I have never had any conflicts myself)

Overview

Southwark Council has plans to enhance the appearance and improve accessibility along Balfour Street between Rodney Road and Munton Road, and its junction with Rodney Road.

Due to the ongoing regeneration of the local area, we would like to enhance the appearance of Balfour Street and its junction with Rodney Road by widening the footway to improve access for all users, creating a safer environment for cyclists, upgrading the public realm and increasing tree provisions, and improving safety for all road users at the Rodney Road junction.

I asked members for their suggestions for (very) minor improvements throughout the borough that will make cyclists feel better catered for. These are examples of the type of changes that Camden felt could be implemented without consultation of local residents/businesses:

The response from members was very good and we were able to assemble a list of suggestions and submit it to Camden in November 2013. Camden responded by assigning an officer to work on the entire list and he has worked hard to progress them.

The web page linked above includes a table showing the list of 17 suggestions that were submitted to Camden, updated to show the five suggestions that we know for sure to have been completed (those table entries are in italic with completion date and a photo). There may be one or two other items in the list that have been completed - I haven't been to check all of them recently ;-) I would be very grateful to anyone who can give me up-to-date information on the status of the other items.

Several other minor changes that we have suggested, outside the 'Quick Wins' list have also been completed this year.

As far as I know Camden still intend to progress most of the remaining items. It is worth noting that some of these relatively minor changes received significant 'push-back' from locals, making the process slower and more expensive than it might have been.

We and Camden are still very positive about this campaign. Camden are now asking us for a set of 'Phase 2' suggestions. The criteria for this are likely to include the types of changes suggested in the first phase but also include some new ones.

We are still clarifying with Camden the new categories that can be classified as 'quick wins' (i.e. can be implemented without consultation). They may include:

⁃ widening cycle lanes or converting them to mandatory (i.e. replacing a dashed with a solid white line). In some cases this might be a first step towards installing lightweight segregation.
⁃ widening existing cycle lanes where there is limited traffic impact.
⁃ widening bus lanes to 4.5m to allow safer overtaking of buses by cycles and vice-versa.
⁃ adding cycle lanes that link up sections of bus lane.
⁃ trial lane closures to provide better space for cycling.
⁃ more 2-way cycling on side roads.

I would be grateful for your feedback, commenting on the categories of changes or preliminary suggestions for actual changes.

I plan to construct a new list for submission to Camden in October, but I would be grateful for concrete suggestions by mid-September.

It helps if you can provide a link to the relevant location on Google maps. A photo is even more helpful.

The Woodberry Down Development Team (Hackney Council, Berkeley Homes and supported by Transport for London) are consulting on "changes to Seven Sisters Road, from Green Lanes to the west and Amhurst Park to the east, as part of the on‑going regeneration of the area".

They have offered six 'ideas':
1) Reduce road to two lanes in either direction (one general traffic lane, one bus lane)
2) Reduce road to two lanes (one general traffic, one bus) in either direction, but widen to three lanes at junctions
3) Increase the number of pedestrian crossings
4a) Add a 'pedestrian island slip' between the two carriageways
4b) Add a wide 'pedestrian island slip' with planting and trees
5) Segregated cycle lanes
6) Widen bus lanes

Drivers are unaware/don't care/don't see cyclists in the cycle lane, so pull out of Lidl an Old Worting Road turning left, or turn right from Worting Road to Old Worting Road leading to very near misses. The cycle lane should be replaced with access to Old Worting Road near the bus stop, and improved access to Lidl provided.

Protected space for cycling Eastbound along Clyde Gateway, it's marked along the footway, too narrow but not bad. Then reach the junction with Dunn St and the cycle path joins the carriageway and immediately in conflict with a huge sweeping left turn filter lane. This is terrible, dangerous design.

Proposed alternative route for cyclists on quiet roads and existing footpaths from Pinewood Park to Fernhill Schools avoiding Sandy Lane and Chapel Lane. Would require improvements to footpaths to make them safe for cycling and a change of status to SUP. Also requires a safe crossing on Fernhill Road. Proposed by Cllr Muschamp.

This contraflow infrastructure is hazardous for several reasons: the path is very narrow - realistically around 0.5m wide, the cyclists is riding in the gutter, at risk of being doored and catching wing mirrors. What caught me out was a vehicle travelling North and turned right to access an entrance. Our sight lines were blocked by parked vehicles in parking bays to the right of the cycle path. Until this situation is addressed cyclists will continue to be vulnerable along this section of the road.

Proposal by HCC to add advisory cycle lanes on both sides of Kingsmead between the SUP near the junction with Victoria Road to the entrance of Pinehurst car park.
The cycle lanes would have a contrasting red surface at the entrances to Sainsburys and the Kingsmead and Sainsburys car parks.

Park Road is one way to motorised traffic at this point. There is a contra flow on road cycle path to allow cyclists to travel S. This path is far less that 1 metre wide and parked cars are allowed to the right of the cycle lane. The issues here are: high risk of being doored; wobbling into gutter; knocking wing mirrors; being hit by vehicles turning right into entrances because of poor sight lines between motorists and cyclists created by the barrier of parked cars. This is shown in the photo.

Proposal
To provide a shared use facility on St Phillips Road that links the Toucan Crossing on Midland Road with the Bristol Bath Railway Path. The route will then continue on a traffic calmed Horton Street

Rationale
The Railway Path is one of the City's busiest parks, with an estimated 5,000 sustainable transport journeys made along the St. Philips end of the path each day either by foot or by bike. With this volume of traffic using the path, it is unsatisfactory that users are channelled into St Philips Road into a busy industrial estate. Since the bus priority measures on West Street and Old Market on the A420 corridor, there has been an increase in private motor vehicles using St Philips Road as a rat-run causing conflict with the volume of cycle traffic. The end journey for users of the Railway Path acts as a barrier to new cyclists.

An improved link form the railway path to Temple Meads would help achieve the Local Enterprise Site aims for sustainable transport and will help to provide for the 17,000 employees at the site.

Proposal
To investigate options to provide a safe, continuous route from St James Barton Roundabout to the top of Park Street.

Rationale
Marlborough Street/Upper Maudlin Street/Perry Road/Park Row (known as the Scope Route) is the most desirable route for cyclists from the east of the city to the University, the Triangle, Clifton etc but is heavily trafficked with little cycle provision.

Research has identified three key perceptions that deter people from taking up cycling: lack of personal safety; inconvenience; poor image. Experience from countries in northern Europe shows conclusively that in order for cycling to become a mass activity attracting all ages and abilities these perceptions have to be tackled and potential cyclists must believe they will feel safe, valued and normal. Facilities are needed that form a coherent network, separate cyclists from fast, high volume traffic and offer them a high degree of priority and convenience both on main routes and local roads. The purpose of Bristol's 'Design Cycling' work programme is to create a network and that is convenient, safe and provides speedy access all over the city. A network which a 12 year old would feel comfortable using.

Rationale
Old Market functions as the primary eastern entrance and maintains one of the most important historical collections of historic buildings in the city. Its unique character, central location and distinct identity make it an ideal place for regeneration. To encourage investment and regeneration, a scheme is proposed which seeks a reworking of the buses to provide stops at the edge of the street along with wider footpaths, cycle facilities and de-cluttering of signage and lining and a higher quality public realm.

Proposal
Provide a continuous, uninterrupted route with pedestrian and cyclist priority over side junctions, adjacent to Easton Way on both the East and West side. Utilise existing roads, footpaths and the verge, including the bunds.
Investigate options to improve legibility at the Lawrence Hill Roundabout and provide links to West Street/Old Market.

Rationale
Easton Way is a barrier for both pedestrians and cyclists. These proposals would seek to reverse some of the community severance that results from a road of this nature. The route will provide for variety of journeys such as; Stapleton Road to the new Library development at junction 3; and from Lawrence Hill to Old Market and the City Centre. It will also link existing routes such as the Concorde Way, Frome Greenway and BBRP to the Spine Road, providing a good North/South route.

Research has identified three key perceptions that deter people from taking up cycling: lack of personal safety; inconvenience; poor image. Experience from countries in northern Europe shows conclusively that in order for cycling to become a mass activity attracting all ages and abilities these perceptions have to be tackled and potential cyclists must believe they will feel safe, valued and normal. Facilities are needed that form a coherent network, separate cyclists from fast, high volume traffic and offer them a high degree of priority and convenience both on main routes and local roads. The purpose of Bristol's 'Design Cycling' work programme is to create a network and that is convenient, safe and provides speedy access all over the city. A network which a 12 year old would feel comfortable using.